Going to grad school after military service? GRE scores and NUPOC.

[anonymity]

Hello,

I'm a freshman physics and ME major(which will be switched to nucEng when i transfer to purdue, right now it is strictly for thermodynamics and other courses that overlap between ME and nucEng) looking at joining the navy through a program called NUPOC.

NUPOC is a program that aims to recruit 'high quality' undergraduates from technical fields (physics, chemistry, engineering, etc) to join the navy as nuclear engineers. Students go through an application process very similar to applying to grad school or an internship (letters of recommendation, transcripts, and a technical interview comprised of calculus/physics/ engineering/chemistry questions. Ideally, you would go through this process (and be selected your first time around) after your second semester of sophomore year (at which point you start getting paid 3.5k a month to keep your grades up, so applying as early as possible is an advantage, which is why this is on my mind so early on...).

After selection and graduation, candidates are sent to NNPS (Navy Nuclear Propulsion School, which is a 24 week graduate level training program in reactor theory, physics, mathematics, etc). All in all (training, active duty, everything) there is a six year enlistment minimum to be in this program, largely due to the amount of training required.

This worries me.

Having to commit the next 8 years (2 years completing degree, 6 years duty) of your life to something as a sophomore in college is difficult enough, but simultaneously attempting to figuring out if grad school will be a possibility after getting out is a bit..well, impossible.I have done slight research, and in an easy five minutes uncovered numerous dilemmas (GRE scores, academic recommendations, etc) that could be detrimental to an applicant (of course, completing this rigorous program of graduate level work and having applied experience has obvious advantages; but let's focus on the disadvantages and potential problems).So, what potential problems does applying to grad school 6 years after graduating from college pose? Will this be a wall too high to scale, or can this be managed with solid planning?

Phd students, graduates, professors, admissions counselors (basically anyone with constructive knowledge), please fill me in..what are the chances of this ending in something other than catastrophe?
post script:

regarding the GRE:
it would likely be advantageous to take the test directly after completing nuclear power school, if time allows, or right after/during undergrad coursework. Generally speaking, we can assume that taking this test four years after getting a degree will produce scores less than those that one could get upon completion of a degree program. With this being said, is there ANY way around the 5 year limit (applying as a part time student RIGHT at the 5 year cut off was my first thought)?

 

[melissar]

I think it'd be better for you to do NROTC, if you want to do graduate school. If you have a good GPA then you can apply for a scholarship. It's less money, but your tuition is paid. You can also defer active duty to do graduate school, after you complete NROTC. Another alternative would just be waiting until after you graduate. You can also do NUPOC while you are in graduate school, as long as you are within 3 years of graduation. Having a bachelor's degree might even look better on the NUPOC application, it's a rigorous application process.

As for the GRE, the cutoff is five years. But you might as well take it in undergraduate school, that way if you don't like your score, then you have time to re-take it.